1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to closure tabs for use on absorbent articles, and more particularly, to mechanical closure systems having greater integrity by the application of compression bonding.
2. Background of the Related Art
Absorbent articles such as, for example, disposable diapers, adult incontinent pads, sanitary napkins, pantiliners, incontinent garments, etc. are generally worn, in cooperation with garments and disposed against a body surface, etc., by infants or adult incontinent individuals. The absorbent article is employed to collect, absorb, etc. body fluid discharge, such as, for example, blood, menses, urine, aqueous body fluids, mucus, cellular debris, etc. For example, the absorbent article may be disposed between the legs of an individual adjacent a crotch area. The absorbent article is positioned with a garment and drawn into engagement with a body surface of the crotch area to collect fluid discharge.
As is known, absorbent articles typically include a fluid permeable coverstock for engaging the body surface, a fluid impermeable back sheet and an absorbent core supported therebetween. The backsheet serves as a moisture barrier to prevent fluid leakage to the garment. The absorbent core usually includes a liquid retention material that faces the body surface. The absorbent core can include loosely formed cellulosic fibers, such as wood pulp, for acquiring and storing fluid discharge.
Fastening of the absorbent articles with an individual requires the use of closure tabs or other closure systems employing fastening members. For example, in typical diaper-type garments, the garment is affixed to a wearer by attaching one or more closure tabs that extend across the wearer's hips to hold the back and front halves of the garment to one another. These closure systems typically include a fastening member or “tab material,” and mechanical closure material (such as hook and loop material) attached to the tab material. This composite of tab material and the mechanical closure material is fixed or secured to the absorbent article. Generally, such securing to the absorbent article is accomplished by adhesive, ultrasonic bonding, stitching and the like.
The securing of the mechanical closure material to the fastening members of absorbent articles, however, may suffer from occasional separation and dislodging. These separations cause the closure system to fail, thereby preventing attachment of the absorbent article to an individual and rendering such absorbent article ineffective. Failure can also occur, for example, because wearers typically move their bodies while the fasteners are attached, sometimes causing the closure tabs to become loose, uncomfortable or even unfastened. Yet another factor complicating the task of fastener tab design is the fact that the caregivers applying the tabs do so in a variety of ways that may or may not be suitable to properly affix tabs of the particular design being applied. Moreover, these drawbacks can disadvantageously result in wasted product and unpleasant product experience for the consumer.
Despite these and other efforts by absorbent garment manufacturers and others to provide suitable closure tabs for absorbent garments, there is still a need to provide a more comfortable, better fitting, and easily applied tab. These are just a few of the disadvantages of the prior art that the preferred embodiments seek to address. It would therefore be desirable to overcome the disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art by providing a closure tab that contains hook and loop material that is securely and permanently attached thereto. It would also be desirable if the secure attachment of the hook and loop material to the tab material is easily and more efficiently manufactured.